Posted tagged ‘ARUPS’

Psychological Association of the Philippines President Dr. Maria Caridad Tarroja, Vice President Dr. Mira Ofreneo, and Board Member Mr. Jay Yacat joined eight other officers and members of national psychology organizations from three other Southeast Asian countries (Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia) and three East Asian nations (India, China and Pakistan) in a one and a half day capacity building workshop on Developing Psychology at a National Level. This workshop was organized by the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS).

Status of National Psychology Organizations in Southeast Asia

Prof. Pam Maras

Chair of the National Capacity Building Work Group

IUPsyS

Prof. Maras led the participants in surfacing issues that national psychology organizations in Southeast Asia grapple with. Membership is a priority issue (attracting and engaging members, member benefits). Other identified challenges pertain to organizational development: funding, staffing, capacity building and continuing education. Important key issues include:

Lack of services to public

Culture sensitive applicability of acquired skills and knowledge

Education of the public about value and application of psychology

Relationship with other disciplines

Need for collaboration among psychological organisations

However, despite these challenges, all organizations rely on the commitment and hard work of their existing members. Another important resource is the leadership and guidance of their more senior and well-established members.

An important observation is that the organizations are at different stages in their development (with some organizations existing for almost fifty years while others are in the process of formalizing its structures).

The importance of regulation and licensing of psychologists was a focal point in the discussions. Among the participating nations, only the Philippines has successfully passed a regulatory law. While Prof. Maras underscored the importance of having such a law, she strongly encouraged national organizations to critically reflect on their possible roles in the implementation. She warned that it might be taxing for organizations’ resources to be involved in the actual implementation of the regulation.

In summary, Prof. Maras identified possible roles and functions for national psychology organizations:

ARUPS is a union of national associations in Southeast Asia. Dr. Bernardo provided the history, aims and activities of ARUPS. He asked the participants to think about how ARUPS can address the development needs of their respective national associations. He led the discussion of four issues: promoting communication and cooperation between member countries; training, qualifications and status; research, application and practice; research, application and practice; and dissemination of psychological knowledge.

Cooperation and communication

Training, qualification and status

Regularly updated website to support national associations (bulletin boards, forum)

Faculty exchanges or study tour

Documenting lessons learned or good practices by member associations in similar issues (eg., dealing with the government)

Regional associations reaching out to emerging national associations (e.g., informing national associations on international standards)

Reaching out to non-psychology professional associations (e.g., psychiatry, guidance and counselling, psychotherapy)

Identification of possible contact persons from associations from other regions

Appoint a liaison officer among national presidents

Internet-based communication

Include department, colleges, university

Develop or come up with a set of competencies expected for undergraduate psychology students, psychology practitioners, researchers, educators (competency vs educational attainment model)

Recognize exemplary programs of psychology

Support the efforts to educate the public (general public, government and other professions) about the functions of psychologists

Disseminate success of psychologists in the public sphere (policy level)

Support efforts for national regulation and recognition of psychologists

Research, Application and Practice

Dissemination of Psychological Knowledge

Come up with a network/directory of researchers and practitioners to facilitate possible collaborative work

Encourage international publishers to accept manuscripts in the local language and have local language editors

Support efforts to develop a research culture among national associations (e.g., encourage country members to explore locally relevant research topics, develop local measures)

Encourage international bodies to give a voice to and value locally-relevant research

Support capacity-building efforts by national associations to come up with peer-reviewed journal (e.g., have international experts to come in; provide writing workshops)

Engage publishers to support other means to disseminate evidence-based psychological knowledge

The Way Forward for National Associations

Elizabeth Nair, PhD

Dr. Nair asked the participants to think about the following: a) quality of psychology programs; b) challenges faced by practitioners; c) attracting international academics; and d) influence of psychology on public policy.

It was found that there are no existing accreditation systems among participating nations to ensure the quality of psychology programs (both undergraduate and graduate programs). This could be another area that ARUPS may focus on. Meanwhile, all participants see the importance of a regulatory system to ensure the quality of psychological practice.

The participants also admit that at present, except in Malaysia, there are no active steps in attracting outstanding international academics to teach or do research but recognize the potential of doing so in the development of the discipline.

Last, the participants also agree that there is a need to strengthen the influence of psychology in public discourse and public policy in their respective countries.

The status of global psychology

Sath Cooper, PhD

Dr. Cooper outlined several characteristics of contemporary global psychology which render non-Western psychologies at a disadvantage. These include:

However, he acknowledged that changing geo-political conditions highlight the need for non-Western psychologies to assert themselves in the world stage.

Conflict and crisis

Globalization and poverty

Economics of poverty and health

Development imperatives, resources priorities

Majority world representations

Human, socio-economic issues

Advances in brain and neuro-sciences

He also enumerated several features of national psychologies, especially in Southeast Asia, that may help in contributing to a truly global psychology: cultural diversity; indigenous experience; use of electronic communication; and sharing a time zone. Thus, it is important that national associations not only focus on strengthening its respective organizations but also reach out to other associations in the region in order to become a force in shaping the direction of a global psychology.

Last February 11 to 13, a small group of Filipino psychologists formed the Philippine delegation to the 2nd Congress of the ASEAN Regional Union of Psychological Societies (ARUPS) in Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.The Filipino participants who came from Metro Manila and Davao City did us all proud as they presented very well received oral presentations of their recent research papers.Congratulations!

During this meeting, I had the distinct honor of assuming the Presidency of ARUPS (having been elected President-Elect in 2006), and in this capacity I also hope to undertake my responsibilities in ways that will make Philippine psychologists proud.

But the most memorable aspect of this Thailand conference is our exposure to Buddhist psychology which is a growing field of study in Thailand, led by new ARUPS President-Elect, Dr. Soree Pokaeo of Chulalongkorn University.During the conference, various paper presenters spoke about the basic principles and theoretical propositions of Buddhist psychology, and how these relate to different aspects of psychological study.

I will not attempt to write about this complex topic, but what I noted was that the Thai psychologists who were studying Buddhist psychology were elaborating on a very new paradigm for doing psychology.The tenets of Buddhist psychology have profound implications on how psychologists define human functioning, the goals and processes of human development, the nature and aspects of well-being, the nature of psychological distress, and even therapeutic interventions for psychological problems.Some papers presented have gone as far as developing reliable measures for important constructs in Buddhist psychology.

During the conference, one fellow Filipino participant wondered why we Filipino psychologists have not developed a Catholic psychology.The wondering was warranted as we know that Buddhism is a religion.However, Buddhism is not just a religion in Thailand.Instead it pervades every aspect of Thai society and culture.We could say that Buddhism is a way of life for many Thai people, even those who do not claim to be Buddhist.During one of my dinners with Thai psychology professors, they explained that Buddhism in Thailand actually incorporates many indigenous non-Buddhist beliefs and practices as well.It seems to me that Buddhist psychology is not a psychology of the Buddhist religion, but an indigenous psychology of the Thai people.

In this regard, I know that Philippine psychologists have already made progress in developing an indigenous psychology, led by the late Dr. Virgilio Enriquez.I still recall how, as an undergraduate student, I found many of Dr. Enriquez’ ideas very original, thought-provoking, and exciting.It is the same feeling that I had while listening to the Thai Buddhist psychologists.

I expressed my great admiration for the work of Buddhist psychologists to Dr. Soree Pokaeo, which he sincerely appreciated.He was quick to tell me that my appreciation was so significant because they (the Buddhist psychologists of Thailand) often felt alone in the work, as most Thai psychologists did not appreciate it.I wonder whether there is a similar lack of appreciation for indigenous psychology of Filipinos in the Philippines.

I truly believe that in the Philippines, indigenous psychological approaches to the study of human behavior represent important lines of work that will make psychology more relevant to the more Filipino people.The work that is being done by our colleagues in the Pambansang Samahan sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino and some psychology departments can provide evidence for this.

But the work does not begin with identifying and defining concepts and principles.Indigenous psychological work requires precise and tough-minded scholarship, the utilization of varied empirical methodological tactics, and sustained scholarship on the part of committed researchers.I hope that more PAP members share this belief and commit themselves to developing a Philippine psychology that is truly relevant to the lives of Filipino people.